


They Dropped Like Stars

by Elliott_Fletcher



Category: Naruto
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-07-15 09:13:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7216486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elliott_Fletcher/pseuds/Elliott_Fletcher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the phone rang, Naruto's heart didn't stop, but then it did, and now it won't start again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	They Dropped Like Stars

When the phone rang, Naruto's heart didn't stop. It only did that when Sasuke's face fell to the floor, the phone crashing before lifting itself into the air by the curling cord that felt like it was wrapped around Naruto's neck. When the tears followed, when nothing seemed right—that's when Naruto's heart stopped, and a year later, he doesn't think it's started again.

Everything was fine; they were smiling, laughing, managing not to burn the dinner too bad when it rang. Sasuke flashed him one more rare smile, predatory, smug, and then he rushed to the phone, leaving Naruto a little dazed, a little awed, a little in love. He washed the egg residue from his hands, getting water on the edge of his long sleeves, and then he raced off to follow Sasuke, to tease him with long fingers and toothy grins that said just how happy he was.

Sasuke was facing the wall when he found him, the phone hung loose in his fingers, dangling precariously, lost to rest on Sasuke's sweater-clothed shoulder. The voice projected from the speaker, but Naruto couldn't hear it clearly. He was still beaming, still reaching to interrupt the phone call in order to tickle the sensitive sides in front of him. But he reached, and then Sasuke turned around, and everything dropped—like flakes. They dropped like stars. Naruto's eyes widened when he saw Sasuke's tears, because he never cried, not once, and why did he look like this? Who broke him?

The phone fell to the floor, and the noise made Naruto jump. He bent; he brought it to his ear, and immediately he understood. "Hello?" He called shakily, and then moments later, he fell to his knees. He was speaking, but he didn't know: _Yes, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, No, I—what?! No! It can't be true—y-you're lying, you liar! You liar!_

And Sasuke grabbed his shoulder, hard, and brought him forward, into his chest with such force that the phone was dislodged from Naruto's white-knuckle grip. And then they both cried, and held, and clung together because they needed it. Naruto sobbed into Sasuke's shoulder, and Sasuke shook with silent trembles. An earthquake between them, inside of them, all around them—they had no escape.

The line beeped dead, and they listened endlessly to the monotone, but none reached to silence it, for silencing it would be silencing their will to live another second, another beep.


End file.
